An opportunity to see Mt. Kilimanjaro, whose elevation of 19,000 feet is the highest mountain in Africa. Though at the equator, the peak is snow covered and glaciated as a result of the last ice age.

Following the climb, we traveled to the various game reserves in Tanzania to photograph and observe the wild animals in their natural habitats. Lake Manyara is one of the most famous parks in Tanzania and home to thousands of species and varieties of birds who share the lake with a large herd of hippos.

Lake Manyara

Ngorongoro Crater

The Ngorongoro Crater is one of the natural wonders of the works where over 25,000 animals, from the bat-eared fox to the big tusked elephant, inhabit this caldera, an extinct volcano. Lions there are a most rewarding animal to watch and photograph.

En route to the famous Serengeti Plains, we visited the Olduvai Gorge where archaeologists Louis and Mary Leakey discovered skull fragments believed to be over 600,000 years old, which they named "East African Man".

Olduvai Gorge

Ray Turmelle is well known for his years leading the Graniteer Drum and Bugle Corps. An experienced hiker and photographer, he has hiked on five continents and taken wonderful photographs of beautiful scenery that he has gladly shown to those who only dream of such adventure. Ray became intrigued with hiking in the mountains while in high school and this interest continues to this day. He has climbed extensively in the White Mountains and prefers the cold and windy winter days rather than the hear and bugs of the summer months.

It wasn't until he was in his early 40s that he was enticed into doing rock and ice climbing. Acquiring experience and confidence doing various routes on Cathedral and Whitehorse Ledges in North Conway, and eventually on the Cannon Cliffs in Franconia Notch. His first major climb was the Matterhorn in Switzerland followed by Mt. Rainier in Washington and various peaks in British Columbia.

He celebrated his 49th birthday and achieved his highest altitude on a 45 day trek and climb in the Himalayas of Nepal, climbing to 22,000 feet. He also climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro in Africa and the Andes in Peru. An old adage in mountaineering states that there are a lot of old, bold climbers and not many bold, old climbers. So, even though he continues to hike, he has left the rock, ice, and high altitude climbing to the younger generation and now shares his experiences through presentations.

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Take a look at the online Museum of Farmington History. Several hundred items have been added to the online museum and a few more collections have items in them. Don't forget to share things with your friends, with the newly activated share options!